A system for processing a wafer is provided. Ultraviolet light radiates through a first amount of oxygen gas in an ozone generation chamber so that the first amount of oxygen gas is converted to a first amount of ozone gas. The first amount of ozone gas flows from the ozone generation chamber into a loadlock chamber and a wafer is exposed to the first amount of ozone gas. The ultraviolet light also radiates through a window and then through a second amount of oxygen gas in the loadlock chamber so that the second amount of unconverted gas is converted to a second amount of ozone gas. The wafer held by the wafer holder is also exposed to the second amount of ozone gas.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of processing a wafer, which includes: (a) locating a wafer in a wafer processing chamber of a system for processing a wafer; (b) forming a silicon layer on the wafer while located in the wafer processing chamber; (c) transferring the wafer from the wafer processing chamber to an ozonification chamber of the system while remaining substantially unexposed to air; (d) closing off communication between the processing chamber and the ozonification chamber; (e) allowing a first amount of ozone gas into the ozonification chamber; (f) exposing the wafer to the first amount of ozone gas while located in the ozonification chamber; (g) radiating ultraviolet light through an unconverted gas in the ozonification chamber thereby converting the unconverted gas to a second amount of ozone gas; (h) exposing the wafer to the second amount of ozone gas while located in the ozonification chamber; and (i) removing the wafer from the ozonification chamber.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the ozonification chamber is a loadlock chamber and in step (i) the wafer is removed out of the system.
3. A method according to claim 1 which includes: (j) generating the first amount of ozone gas in an ozone generation chamber that is in communication with the ozonification chamber.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the first amount of ozone gas is generated by radiating ultraviolet light through an unconverted gas in the ozone generation chamber.
5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the ultraviolet light radiating through the unconverted gas in the ozone generation chamber and the ultraviolet light radiating through the unconverted gas in the ozonification chamber originate from a common source lamp.
6. A method according to claim 5 wherein, when step (f) and step (h) are carried out, a pressure within the ozonification chamber is below a pressure in the wafer processing chamber.
7. A method according to claim 2 wherein, when step (f) and step (h) are carried out, a pressure within the loadlock chamber is below a pressure in the wafer processing chamber.
8. A method according to claim 1 wherein hydrogen gas is present within the processing chamber at any given time between when (e) is started and (h) ends.
9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the pressure within the loadlock chamber remains below atmospheric pressure from (e) to (h).
10. A method according to claim 1 wherein substantially no oxide layer forms on the silicon layer before exposure to the ozone gas.
11. A method of processing a wafer, which includes: (a) locating a wafer in a wafer processing chamber of a system for processing a wafer; (b) forming a silicon layer on the wafer while located in the wafer processing chamber; (c) transferring the wafer from the wafer processing chamber through a first opening of a loadlock chamber into the loadlock chamber of the system while remaining substantially unexposed to air; (d) closing off communication between the processing chamber and the ozonification chamber; (e) allowing oxygen gas into an ozone generation chamber; (f) conducting current through a filament of an ultraviolet light in the ozone generation chamber thereby converting some of the oxygen gas to a first amount of ozone gas; (g) allowing the first amount of ozone gas together with oxygen gas through an opening in a window into the loadlock chamber; (h) exposing the wafer to the first amount of ozone gas while located in the loadlock chamber; (i) radiating ultraviolet light from the filament through the window and then through the oxygen gas in the loadlock chamber thereby converting the oxygen gas in the loadlock chamber to a second amount of ozone gas; (j) exposing the wafer to the second amount of ozone gas while located in the loadlock chamber; and (k) removing the wafer through a second opening of the loadlock chamber from the loadlock chamber.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 6, 2002
December 3, 2002
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